The largest backfire from a redo on the standard drug testing policy to include prescription medications comes from employers penalizing an employee who is only taking pain medications due to an injury incurred while at work. They were doing their job and an accident occurred. The accident was in no way related to drug use originally, but the person has to now take a pain medication that is carefully controlled and considered a narcotic substance. With random testing and a policy that includes prescription medications the employee becomes penalized for their use that only began because of the job.

What of other options though? Can a program be devised that benefits both the company and the employees – working between the two to find a happy medium. Is this at all a possibility? What if there was an education program where the company could take employees testing positive but do have a prescription aside and help them to understand why despite their doctors prescriptions they should find an alternate solution to their situation because the company cannot keep them on book based on statistics related to their particular prescription.

And what of the company? Can we educate them with doctors and insurance companies to help smooth the path for those among us who need these medications just to be able to function like normal human beings. Doesn’t seem to have a clear positive or negative path to follow on this one does it. I suppose that means it’s up to you to make up your own mind.